Mills Writes To Ga Mantse

A letter President John Evans Atta Mills wrote to the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Tawiah III, dated 15th January 2009, has added fuel to the raging confusion over the installation of additional kings. When the issue of the correspondence came up, especially on the airwaves, some National Democratic Congress (NDC) panelists cast doubts about its integrity. There were others who dismissed the point that there was any such letter written at all by the President, acknowledging, as it were, the position of King Tackie Tawiah III as Ga Mantse. A photocopy of the correspondence is reproduced for the perusal of readers. Dated 15th January 2009 and titled �Re: Letter of Congratulations�, the correspondence is filed as follows: �My Ref. No. OPS 414 Vol. 8/09/122.� It reads: �King Tackie Tawiah III, Ga Mantse, President of the Ga Traditional Council, c/o Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture�. I acknowledge with thanks receipt of your letter dated 12th January 2009, by which you on behalf of the Ga Traditional Council and the people of the Ga State congratulated me on my election and installation as President of the Republic of Ghana. I have noted with deep gratitude and appreciation the kind sentiments you expressed in your letter. I am equally appreciative of the role played by the traditional council including your good self on the conduct of the recent peaceful general elections. On behalf of my party the NDC, the Vice President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, I wish to convey my sincere appreciation to you, Ga Mantse, the Chiefs and people of the Ga State for the courtesies accorded us during the recent general elections. I will avail myself of your wise counsel during my tenure of office as President of the Republic of Ghana. Please accept, Nii, my warmest regards. Yours Sincerely, Prof John Evans Atta Mills President of the Republic of GhanaThe Ga Mantse recently won a landslide libel case when an Accra Fast Track High Court slapped cost for general damages against Emmanuel Tackie Yarboi for publishing defamatory article against him. This followed an application by the Ga Mantse, claiming GH�6million as general damages from Oto-Ga for publishing an article which asserted that he (the king) had forged the signature of President John Evans Atta Mills in a letter, to create the impression that he was the recognized legitimate Ga Mantse and the President of the Ga Traditional Council. In a related development, the Ga Dangme Council has appealed to the claimants to the Ga Stool to abide by the rule of law and customary use and practice. In a statement by the Council and signed by its President, K.B. Asante, it recalled how previous efforts to ensure that an acceptable Ga Mantse was installed, came to naught. �Unfortunately, its efforts proved futile and it had to contend with awaiting the verdict of the judicial process of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs at Dodowa,� the statement noted. Recent developments pertaining to the stool, according to the Council, were unhelpful and therefore appealed to all elders of the Ga State �to refrain from illegal acts and the use of inflammatory and highly inappropriate language which is unbefitting of their status as traditional elders�. The Council promised to continue to work for a traditionally lawful and peaceful resolution of the problem.